Method for creating and applying liquid-container barrier coating

ABSTRACT

A method utilizing a spray instrumentality for spray-applying to a target surface in a target zone a defined, composite-material layer which is to play a role in defeating a liquid leak from a puncture wound created in the wall of a container holding liquid of a particular character. The method includes the steps of (a) initiating a flow toward the spray instrumentality of liquid elastomeric body-forming material, (b) at a selectable point downstream from where such initiating takes place, introducing a flow of plural, bead-like, liquid-imbiber elements which are relevant to the mentioned particular-character liquid, (c) in a user-chooseable manner in relation to the introducing step, merging the two flows, and (d) following such merging, applying the merged flows to a target surface, thus to create the desired, defined composite-material layer which takes the form of a body of elastomeric material containing a distribution of liquid-imbiber elements.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to the filing date, May 24, 2005, ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/684,244, covering aninvention entitled “Application of Plural-Component, Self-Healing,Anti-Puncture Liquid Container Coating with Full, Pre-Flow ComponentBlending”, and to the filing date, May 24, 2005, of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 60/684,245, covering an invention entitled“Coating Product-by-Process for the Anti-Puncture, Anti-Leak Protectionof a Liquid Container”. The disclosure contents of both of theseprior-filed provisional applications are hereby incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to the creation of a plural-layer barriercoating which is applied to the outside of the wall of a liquidcontainer, such as a liquid container containing hydrocarbon fuel, forthe purpose of defeating any substantial leak of fluid from thatcontainer on the occurrence of a puncture wound, such as bullet wound.For the purpose of illustration and description herein, the invention isdescribed in conjunction with protecting a fuel-supply tank in amilitary fuel-supply vehicle, and further in the context of an overallprotective coating which includes three layers. This environment is onewherein the invention has been found to offer particular utility, thoughit should be understood that the principles of the invention and all ofits features may be utilized in other liquid-container protectioncircumstances.

Very specifically, the present invention relates to a methodology whichis particularly associated with the creation, in such an overallcoating, of a special composite-material layer which includes a body ofhigh-elastomeric material in which there resides a distribution of aplurality of small, liquid-reactive, liquid-imbiber, bead-like elements,or beads, designed to react, in part, with liquid-imbibing, andresulting three-dimensional swelling, on contact with any leakage ofliquid coming from a puncture wound in a protected container.

According to a preferred manner of practicing the invention, the subjectcomposite-material layer is formed from a body of the mentionedhigh-elastomeric material, and specifically from such material which hasresulted from the catalyzed pre-combination of two precursor elastomericmaterials which, once combined and blended, react with one anotherchemically to cure to a final high-elastomeric material. Introduced invarious, selectable, different ways into this material, before itbecomes a “finalized layer” in a coating of the type described, is ameasured quantity of small liquid-imbiber bead-like elements (beads) ofthe type generally mentioned above.

In this context, and as will be seen from the detailed description whichfollows below, the methodology of the invention is practicable in anumber of different particular modes, each of which involves a somewhatdifferent manner of combining the high-elastomeric and bead-likeconstituent elements utilized to make the intended composite-materiallayer. In particular, the described different modes and manners ofcombining these materials provides a user with an option to vary thelength of time that the included imbiber beads are directly,contactively exposed to liquid elastomer material before the overallblend of materials is finally applied to a target surface to form theresulting, desired, composite-material layer. This “time-control”offering of the present invention has been found to allow for theproduction of differently characterized composite-material layers,wherein the liquid-imbibing and three-dimensional swelling responses ofthe imbiber elements, when exposed the leakage fluid, can be larger orsmaller depending upon how much time elapses between the time of layerfinalization, and the time of initial contactive engagement betweenelastomeric material and the imbiber-bead material. Very specifically,we have found that the effective aggressiveness with which the mentionedimbiber beads in a final composite-material layer respond to leakageliquid is related to the time of exposure which these elements have toliquid elastomeric material before final “curing” of the createdcomposite-material layer. This timing control thus offers a user variousoptions for “tailoring” an anti-leakage barrier coating's responsecharacteristics relating to sealing against puncture-wound leakage indifferent, specific circumstances.

All of the features and advantages of the present invention will becomenow more fully appreciated as the detailed description which follows isviewed in conjunction with the several accompanying drawing figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified, fragmentary and schematic illustration of aleak-defeating coating applied to the outside surface of the wall in ahydrocarbon fuel container, with this coating including three layers,the central one of which is a composite-material layer that has beenformed in accordance with practice of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block/schematic diagram which generally provides an overall“picture” embracing the various modalities described herein forimplementing the present invention.

FIGS. 3 and 4 furnish two different block/schematic views regarding twodifferent practices of the invention, wherein the merging of particularmaterial flows, in accordance with practice of the invention, occurs ata location which is upstream from where a material blending step isperformed.

FIG. 5 is a block/schematic diagram illustrating a modified form ofpracticing the invention wherein the just-mentioned merging step isperformed at a location which is downstream from the mentioned blendingstep.

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 are block/schematic diagrams each illustrating adifferent specific manner for implementing, fundamentally, the view ofthe invention generally pictured in FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 furnishes a timing diagram which illustrates how differentpractices of the invention provide a user with options to vary thelength of time that liquid-imbiber beads are contactively exposed tohigh-elastomeric material with the latter still in a liquid condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning attention now to the drawings, and beginning with FIG. 1, herethere is shown generally at 20 at three-layer barrier coating which hasbeen applied to the outside surface 22 a of the wall 22 b of ahydrocarbon fuel tank, or container, 22. For the purpose of describingthe present invention, container 22 will be assumed to be a metallic,hydrocarbon fuel container, or tank, in a military tanker truck. Such amilitary “setting” is employed herein inasmuch as it provides anenvironment wherein practice of the present invention offers specialutility. The portion of container 22 which appears in FIG. 1 is referredto herein as having a target surface 22 a which lies within a targetzone 23.

With respect to application to container 22 of the three layers (stillto be described) of coating 20, certain “reception-surface” primingconsiderations are useful to have in mind, and these considerations willbe mentioned later herein.

In the particular illustration of the invention now being given, coating20 includes a pair of outer layers 24, 26, and between these two outerlayers, an intermediate layer 28.

In the particular layer arrangement which is shown in FIG. 1, layers 24,26 have a common layer thickness of about ¼-inches, and layer 28 has alayer thickness of about ⅛-inches. Layers 24, 26 are each formed from atwo-part, catalyzable, high-elastomeric material made by a company namedRhino Linings USA, Inc. in San Diego, Calif., and sold under thetrademark TUFF STUFF®, with one of the above-mentioned parts bearing themanufacturer's product number 60012, and the other part bearing theproduct number 60058. These two component parts, which are broughttogether and blended so as to initiate a chemical catalytic reaction toform final layers 24, 26, begin their “lives”, so-to-speak, as liquidingredients which become blended and ultimately spray-applied during theformation of coating 20. These two products, as well as the resultingcatalyzed high-elastomer which they produce, are referred to herein asbody-forming materials, and as precursor materials. The resultinghigh-elastomeric material is one which is capable of about 300% to about400% recoverable elastic elongation.

Intermediate layer 28 is a composite-material layer which includes amain body 28 a formed of the same two-part high-elastomeric materialjust described above with reference to the formation of layers 24, 26.Distributed within this high-elastomeric body is a plurality ofhydrocarbon(fluid)-imbibing beadlike elements, or beads, 28 b. Theseimbiber beads are made by a company named Imbibitive TechnologiesAmerica, Inc. in Midland, Mich., and specifically, as illustratedherein, are formed from that company's product number IMB230300. Theseimbiber beads, in finished layer 28, occupy about 22% by volume of theoverall layer. As will be explained shortly, composite layer 28 is alsocreated in coating 20 by spray-application in accordance with severalpractice modalities contemplated by the present invention—described morefully below.

Thus, coating 20 effectively includes simply two different kinds oflayers, one of which kinds is purely a high-elastomeric layer, and theother of which kinds is a composite material including ahigh-elastomeric body which embeds internally distributed liquid-imbiberbeads. While all three of layers 24, 26, 28 are applied to createcoating 20 via spraying, the present invention concerns itself only withthe creation of a composite layer, like layer 28.

With respect to spray-application and creation of the severalbarrier-coating layers that are associated with implementation andpractice of this invention, and as suggested earlier herein, a wordabout the use of a “receiving-surface” primer for layer adhesionassistance will be useful.

Where the receiving surface, such as surface 22 a, is either metal, orpainted metal, that surface should be completely dry before primerapplication. For an unpainted metal surface, normally no special surfacetexturing is necessary before primer application. However, where paintedmetal is involved, paint-surface profiling to produce about a 1- toabout a 3-mil texture is recommended.

To such a surface, an appropriate primer, such as the so-called System251 primer made by Rhino Linings, USA, Inc. (mentioned earlier herein),may be used. This primer preferably is applied to create a primer layerhaving a thickness lying in the range of about 2- to about 5-mils.Manufacturer's instructions are entirely adequate to describe both thedetails of applying this primer to different surfaces, and theconditions which, after primer application, should be observed toindicate readiness of the primer to receive a sprayed overlayer, such asthe innermost high-elastomeric layer 24 discussed herein which liesclosest to the outer surface of a protected liquid container.

After application of this innermost layer, and with regard to therecommended use or non-use of such a primer in an interlayer manner assuccessive barrier-coating layers, such as layers 26, 28, are sprayedinto place, we have found that no primer is needed if the relevantinterlayer spray interval is less than about 4-hours. If such aninterval is greater than about 4-hours, primer use is recommended. Thesame System 251 primer may be used for such interlayer conditions.

Where the receiving surface for the innermost, barrier-coatinghigh-elastomeric layer is the outer surface of a plastic container, suchas the outer surface of an HDPE fuel tank in a military vehicle, twothings preferably should be done to prepare such a surface forelastomeric layer receipt. First, the surface should bescrubbed/scuffed, as with a rotary wire cup brush, to roughen thesurface, and to remove any “surface gloss” of this surface. Next, anappropriate adhesion-promoting primer should be sprayed onto the scuffedsurface. A suitable primer is the two-part catalyzed product known asDPX-801 plastic adhesive primer made by PPG Industries of Strongsville,Ohio.

Interlayer primer use here should be based upon the same time-intervalconsideration just discussed above, and an appropriate interlayer primeris the mentioned System 251 primer.

Returning to the main description herein of the present invention, itshould be understood that, while a specific barrier coating 20 has thusbeen illustrated and described so far herein, with this coatingincluding three cooperative layers, an appropriate protective,anti-leakage barrier coating may include more or less layers, but alwaysin an overall layer structure including a composite-material layer likelayer 28. Further, while layers 24, 26, 28 are discussed herein ashaving certain specific layer thicknesses, those skilled in the art willclearly recognize that different layer thicknesses may be selected andused if desired.

Coating 20, on the occurrence of a puncture wound, as from a firedbullet, occurring in container wall 22 b, reacts with several differentmechanisms to close this wound, so as to defeat any major fluid leakagefrom container 22. Layers 24, 26 fundamentally react as elastomers whichtend, through the mechanism of elastic memory, to return to theconditions which they had before such a puncture wound occurs, thus toact to close a fluid-leak passageway. These two layers also, because ofthe specific high-elastomeric material preferably chosen for them, andidentified above, also furnish a certain amount of reaction in relationto contact with leaking liquid to absorb some of this liquid, and toswell in a manner which contributes closure pressure to a wound paththat has been created. The material in these two layers also tends toengage in a certain amount of reactive congealing which further assistsin closing a wound passage.

Layer 28 responds principally with the activity furnished by thedistributed liquid-imbiber beads which function rapidly to absorbleaking liquid in contact with them, and to grow three-dimensionally ina manner which also greatly assists in compressively closing off a woundpassage. These imbiber beads also react to leaking liquid, in this casea hydrocarbon fuel, with a kind of congealing action which furtherassists in sealing a liquid-leakage passageway.

Turning attention now to FIG. 2 in the drawings, here there are shownschematically five blocks 30, 32, 34, 36, 38. A bracket 40 is shownoverlying and spanning the space between blocks 30, 32.

Blocks 30, 32 represent starting supplies of liquid precursor parts Aand B of the high-elastomer material described above and used inaccordance with a preferred manner of practicing the present invention.Block 34 represents a supply of the above-mentioned imbiber beads.

Downwardly pointing arrows which extend from blocks 30, 32, 34 to block36 reflect the general practice, in accordance with the invention, offlowing the materials “held” in blocks 30, 32, 34 to block 36 which, inbroad terminology, represents various stages of time-controlledblending, mixing and merging of the liquid-elastomeric and imbiber beadcomponents for ultimate delivery to a spraying, or spray,instrumentality which is represented by block 38. The location, orpoint, where the imbiber beads are introduced to the liquid elastomericmaterial, in all embodiments of the invention illustrated and describedherein, is referred to as a selectable point which is downstream fromwhere a flow of elastomeric liquid material is initiated. Where theliquid elastomeric material and the imbiber beads come together, in allinstances, is referred to herein as the location of a merged flow. Theindividual flows of parts A and B elastomeric precursor materials arereferred to herein as sub-flows.

As will be seen shortly, spray instrumentality 38 may, in accordancewith different modified ways of practicing the present invention, takethe form either of a single spray nozzle, or of a pair of such nozzles.Where a single nozzle is used, all ingredients coming from blocks 30,32, 34 ultimately pass through this nozzle to be sprayed toward what isreferred to herein as a target surface, such as target surface 22 a, tocreate a composite-material layer, like the layer 28. Where two nozzlesare used, one of these nozzles delivers a blend of the two parts (A andB) which make up the mentioned high-elastomeric material, and othernozzle handles spray delivery of the imbiber beads.

As was mentioned earlier herein, we have discovered that the length oftime during which imbiber beads are in contact with still-liquid, andnot yet fully cured, high-elastomeric material, has an effect on thespeed with which imbiber beads, in the finally cured composite-materiallayer, react to leaking liquid fuel to close off leaking of that fuel.As will be observed from several practice descriptions set forth below,this discovery can be utilized effectively to allow a user to producedifferent kinds of composite-material layers, such as layer 28, whichoffer different leakage-control characteristics in such a layer. Thiscan be accomplished by a user's choosing of the manner in which imbiberbeads become introduced into the overall flow of materials which resultsin spray-application and creation of a composite-material layer, thus tocontrol, with flexibility, bead exposure time to liquid elastomermaterial.

Still with reference to FIG. 2 in the drawings, two high-level ways ofcharacterizing the practice of this invention may be appreciated.According to one of these ways, the invention proposes a methodutilizing a spray instrumentality for spray-applying to a target surface(such as surface 22 a) in a target zone (such as target zone 23) adefined composite-material layer which is to play a role in the sealingof liquid leakage from a puncture wound which has occurred in the wallof a container holding a liquid of a particular character. This methodincludes the steps of: (a) initiating a flow toward a sprayinstrumentality of liquid, high-elastomeric, body-forming material; (b)at a point downstream from where liquid-elastomer flow initiation takesplace, introducing a flow of plural, bead-like, liquid-imbiber elements,or beads; (c) in a user-chooseable manner in relation to the step ofintroducing a flow of liquid imbiber beads, merging all of the materialflows; and (d) following the merging step, applying the merged flows tomentioned target surface.

Another high-level way to think about the methodology of the presentinvention is to view it generally as just above stated, with the furtherunderstanding that this methodology also includes offering a user theoption of determining where the merging step takes place, thus to enableselective variation of the time interval between (a) the time of firstcontactive engagement of imbiber beads with liquid elastomeric material,and (b) the time of ultimate spray engagement with a target surface ofthe blended combination of liquid elastomeric material and imbiberbeads.

Turning attention next to FIGS. 3 and 4, these two figures illustratetwo different modalities for implementing the invention in a mannerwhereby merging of the imbiber beads with liquid elastomeric materialtakes place at a location which is upstream from where the two precursorparts A and B of liquid elastomeric material are brought together andblended.

In FIG. 3, four blocks, 42, 44, 46, 48 illustrate one of thesemodalities. As shown here, each of the two precursor parts of liquidelastomer, represented by blocks 42, 44, is flowed directly andindependently to block 46 wherein all component blending takes place.The imbiber beads, represented by block 48, are introduced to eitherone, but not both, of these two elastomeric-part flows en route to block46.

The practice modality illustrated in FIG. 4 is shown in four blockslabeled 50, 52, 54, 56. As illustrated in this figure, all of theingredients which go into the make-up of composite-material layer 28 aremerged and blended substantially simultaneously, as is represented byblock 56.

As will be observed from a simple comparison of the approachesillustrated respectively in FIGS. 3 and 4, and understanding that fromblock 46 in FIG. 3, and from block 56 in FIG. 4, the fully merged andblended materials are fed to the appropriate downstream sprayinstrumentality for spray application as described, the imbiber beadsspend a longer time contactively exposed to liquid elastomeric materialin the approach of FIG. 3 than they do in the approach of FIG. 4. Morewill be said about this time difference shortly.

FIG. 5 in the drawings illustrates another approach for implementing thepractice of the present invention, and very specifically forimplementing a practice wherein imbiber beads are merged into to analready blended mixture of precursor parts A and B of thehigh-elastomeric material. This modality is clearly picturedschematically in FIG. 5 in the four blocks which are shown at 58, 60,62, 64. Blocks 58, 60 represent supplies from which flows of the twocomponent parts, A and B, of the elastomeric material are drawn forsupply to an appropriate blending instrumentality which is representedby block 62. Downstream from where elastomeric component blending takesplace, and in a flow stream of the blended elastomeric components,imbiber beads are merged in block 64 after which this merged flow of allcomponents is delivered to an appropriate spray instrumentality fromwhich the requisite layer-application spray is created and directedtoward the subject target surface.

By making a simple comparison of what is shown in FIG. 5, with respectto what is shown in FIG. 4, for example, one will note that the amountof time that imbiber beads spend in contact with liquid elastomericmaterial in the approach of FIG. 4 is longer than the time of suchcontactive engagement in the practice illustrated in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6, 7, and 8 illustrate three different ways more specifically ofimplementing the practice methodology shown in FIG. 5, namely, amethodology wherein imbiber-bead merging takes place downstream fromwhere elastomeric-part blending occurs. In the practice pictured inFIGS. 6 and 7, imbiber beads are merged into a blended elastomeric flowstream upstream from the output side of whatever spray instrumentalityis used. In FIG. 6 the merger of these beads takes place truly upstreamfrom the spray instrumentality per se. In FIG. 7, merger occurs directlywithin the spray instrumentality itself.

In FIG. 8, imbiber-bead merging occurs downstream (in air) from thespray instrumentality, which, in this case, takes the form of a pair ofspray devices.

Focusing for a moment specifically on FIG. 6, the practice pictured hereis illustrated in three blocks 66, 68, 70. According to what is shown inFIG. 6, following appropriate blending of the two component parts of theelastomeric material, as represented by block 66, a flow thereof isdirected toward an appropriate spray instrumentality represented byblock 70. Merged into this flow from block 68 are liquid-imbiber beadsof the type mentioned above.

In FIG. 7, three blocks 72, 74, 76 illustrate another practice of thepresent invention wherein a blend of the two elastomeric parts,represented by block 72, is caused to flow directly to an appropriatespray instrumentality, represented by block 76. An independent flow ofimbiber beads, represented coming from block 74, is also flowed directlyto the same spray instrumentality. Within this spray instrumentality,the beads and the elastomeric material blend are merged, and the mergedresult is ejected as a spray from instrumentality 76.

As between the two modalities represented in FIGS. 6 and 7, it will beapparent that imbiber beads have a longer contact time with liquidelastomeric material in the FIG. 6 approach than they do in the FIG. 7approach. As is true with all of the practice modalities described sofar herein, in any suitable manner, a final output spray blend/mixtureis one which, in a finished layer 28, will result in the distributedimbiber beads occupying about 22% by volume of the finished layer, withthe elastomeric material accounting for the balance of the layer.

FIG. 8, in blocks 78, 80, 82, 84 illustrates still another manner ofpracticing the invention wherein blended elastomer material and imbiberbeads are merged downstream from where elastomeric component-partblending takes place. Very specifically, final merging of theelastomeric material and the liquid-imbiber beads takes place in the airin the region shown generally at 86 in FIG. 8 where elastomeric-materialspray from a spray device 80 merges with an imbiber-bead spray comingfrom a spray device 84. Thus, according to this practice of theinvention, final merging of imbiber beads and elastomeric material takesplace in the air as the two sprays just mentioned merge on their waytoward the appropriate target surface for the formation of a layer likelayer 28.

Exactly how merging of the two sprays in region 86 takes place willdepend upon user selection regarding relative positioning of theemployed, two spray devices 80, 84. For example, these spray devices maybe offset laterally differently, and may also be offset with respect totheir respective distances from the target surface.

With respect to all of the modalities thus described in relation topracticing the present invention, the exact details of how sprayingtakes place, i.e. spray velocity, spray volume per unit time, spraytemperature, etc. are details which are fully selectable by a user, withthese details not forming specifically any part of the presentinvention. For example, application and use instructions provided by themakers of the high-elastomeric and liquid-imbiber bead materials may befollowed as appropriate guidelines for implementing the ultimatecombined material spray proposed by the present invention.

With respect to the three implementation modalities pictured in FIGS. 6,7 and 8, it will be apparent that practice of the invention inaccordance with FIG. 8 results in the imbiber beads being contactivelyexposed to liquid elastomeric material for the shortest time period.

Turning finally to FIG. 9 in the drawings, here is shown a timingdiagram which generally relates the different lengths of times ofimbiber-bead/elastomeric-material contact according to the severalpractices described for implementation of the present invention. Blockslabeled with related, other drawing-figure numbers are displayed along atime axis in this figure, with the relevant times of imbiber-beadcontact exposure with elastomeric material being represented by timingmarkers t₃, t₄, t₆, t₇ and t₈.

The unique methodology of the present invention, expressed in the formsof several approaches, has thus been described with respect to thecreation of a plural-layer barrier coating, and in particular, to thecreation of a special, composite-material layer therein which includes abody of high-elastomeric material in which there resides a distributionof a plurality of small, liquid-reaction, liquid-imbiber, bead-likeelements. The methodology of the invention focuses upon specific mannersin which a two-part, catalytic-reaction high-elastomeric materialbecomes blended with a flow of an appropriate quantity of liquid-imbiberbeads, to create such a composite-material layer. As the variousmethodologic approaches which characterize the invention clearly pointout, a user, in accordance with practice of the invention, is offered anoption effectively to control the manner in which these beads perform(respond) in a final composite-material layer by controlling the lengthof time that elapses between when an initial flow of beads makes contactwith liquid elastomer material to the time when the blend of allmaterials has been applied to a target surface and finally cures (atabout the same moment in time) to “doneness”. It is this time span whichplays an important role in offering a user the kind of varying-responsecontrols just mentioned.

In one manner of describing the invention, the method thereof includes,as steps, (a) initiating a flow of liquid, high-elastomeric body-formingmaterial toward a selected spray instrumentality, (b) at a selectablepoint downstream from where this initiating step takes place,introducing a flow of plural, bead-like, liquid-imbiber elements whichare relevant to the character of the liquid in the container from whichleakage is to be addressed, (c) in a user-chooseable manner in relationto the introducing step, merging the two mentioned material flows, and(d) following the merging step, applying the merged flows to a targetsurface thus to create a desired, defined, composite-material layerwhich takes the form of a body of high-elastomeric material containing adistribution of the mentioned liquid-imbiber elements.

Another way of expressing the methodology of the invention is todescribe it as including the steps of (a) initiating a flow toward aselected spray instrumentality of liquid, high-elastomeric body-formingmaterial, (b) at a selectable point downstream from where the initiatingstep takes place, introducing a flow of plural, bead-like,liquid-imbiber elements which are relevant to the character of theliquid contained in a to-be-protected container, (c) in auser-chooseable manner in relation to the introducing step, merging thetwo material flows, (d) following the merging step, applying the mergedflows to the target surface, thus to create a desired, defined,composite-material layer which takes the form of a body ofhigh-elastomeric material containing a distribution of theliquid-imbiber elements, and (e) in relation to the merging and applyingsteps, offering a user the option, regarding where the merging steptakes place, effectively to vary the time between the time ofperformance of the merging step and the time of performance of theapplying step.

Accordingly, while a preferred manner of practicing the presentinvention has been described and illustrated herein, with a number ofpractice variations also elaborated and illustrated, it is appreciatedthat those skilled in the art may well perceive how other variations andmodifications may be made in the implementation of the invention whichwill nonetheless come within the scope of the following claims.

1. A method utilizing a spray instrumentality for spray-applying to atarget surface in a target zone a defined, composite-material layerwhich is to play a role in defeating a liquid leak from a puncture woundcreated in the wall of a container holding liquid of a particularcharacter, said method comprising initiating a flow toward the mentionedspray instrumentality of liquid elastomeric body-forming material, at aselectable point, within a range of selectable points, downstream fromwhere said initiating takes place, introducing a flow of plural,bead-like, liquid-imbiber elements which are relevant to the mentionedparticular-character liquid, in a user-chooseable manner in relation tosaid introducing, merging the two flows, and following said merging,applying the merged flows to a target surface thus to create thedesired, defined composite-material layer, which layer takes the form ofa body of elastomeric material containing a distribution of thementioned liquid-imbiber elements.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinsaid merging is performed upstream from the utilized sprayinstrumentality.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mentionedelastomeric material takes the form of two precursor elastomericmaterials, said initiating involves producing a respective sub-flow ofmaterial for each of these two precursor materials, and which furthercomprises blending of such two sub-flows.
 4. The method of claim 3,wherein said merging occurs upstream from where said blending takesplace.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein said merging takes place withrespect to one only of the mentioned, two sub-flows of elastomericprecursor materials.
 6. The method of claim 3, wherein said mergingoccurs substantially simultaneously with said blending.
 7. The method ofclaim 3, wherein said merging occurs downstream from where said blendingtakes place.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said merging occursupstream from the mentioned spray instrumentality.
 9. The method ofclaim 7, wherein said merging occurs at the location of the mentionedspray instrumentality.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the mentionedspray instrumentality includes two spray devices, one for elastomericmaterial, and the other for liquid-imbiber elements, and said mergingoccurs downstream from the mentioned two spray devices.
 11. A methodutilizing a spray instrumentality for spray-applying to a target surfacein a target zone a defined, composite-material layer which is to play arole in defeating a liquid leak from a puncture wound which has occurredin the wall of a container holding a liquid of a particular character,said method comprising initiating a flow toward the mentioned sprayinstrumentality of liquid elastomeric body-forming material, at aselectable point, within a range of selectable points, downstream fromwhere said initiating takes place, introducing a flow of plural,bead-like, liquid-imbiber elements which are relevant to the mentionedparticular-character liquid, in a user-choosable manner in relation tosaid introducing, merging the two flows, following said merging,applying the merged flows to the target surface, thus to create thedesired, defined composite-material layer, which layer takes the form ofa body of elastomeric material containing a distribution ofliquid-imbiber elements, and in relation to said merging and saidapplying, offering a user the option, regarding where merging takesplace, to vary the time between the time of said merging and the time ofsaid applying.